Spell Kings
Trough some, usually unique, method certain mortals have changed the qualities of their own bodies and souls attain mastery over Magic beyond what any average mortal could hope to accomplish. These individuals are given the honorary tittle of Spell Kings and there have only been a handful of them in history. The Road to Rule over Magic The natural limits of what a member of the Mortal Races can achieve trough practicing the Art of Magic has been a subject of debate almost longer then recorded history allows us to keep track of. The symbols that mark those that use magic change as one grows in power, marking that person and their mastery over the Art. But at certain points in becomes increasingly difficult for any Magic user to improve. These bottlenecks mark the point where one becomes able to use Magic as well as the transitions of becoming an Apprentice, becoming Skilled '''at the Art, becoming an '''Expert, attaining Mastery and finally plateauing when one becomes a Grand Master (a level few can hope to achieve). But there is a level beyond even that. The many Schools of of Magic have just as many names for the stages of mastery over the Art but all the creatures who know Magic know the ones who have exceeded the limits of mortals and are loved by mana - The Spell Kings. How much magic a mage or cleric can take in and hold within their body, as well as how much they can use at any given time, can be increased via training or the ingestion of certain rare substances. It is also possible to increase ones capacity for mana or how much control one has over it by using magic items such as staves and wands, or even artifacts such as the Dungeon Heart. But these methods have limits. At some point your training will come to a standstill.The elixir, no matter how great, will no longer be effective. Even magic items such artifacts can help mitigate this or provide the illusion that there walls have been overcome. Even if the magic item holds and channels immense magic in your stead, that alone will never change the fact that the caster himself faces the limitations placed upon him by nature. Simply put - the body simply can not handle more then a certain amount of magic without falling apart. Even Magical Beasts have slowly evolved over generations in extreme conditions to accommodate the incredible mana capacity some of them have and Demonic Beasts have had their ability to take in magic forcibly enhanced by dark powers. To dedicate yourself to pushing these limits inch by inch is what makes a person a true practitioner of the Art. To overcome these limitations is what makes a Spell King. Certain individuals, Grand Masters wielding incredible control over their respective School of Magic, have managed to overcome these natural limitations trough extremely dangerous and unique means. "Unique and dangerous" because to increase ones ability to contain or control mana beyond what your body can handle requires nothing less then the reconstruction of you body into one that can wield magic of that scale and quality. A feat countless, now lost and forgotten, people have tried to accomplish throughout history. In most cases those ambitious enough to reach for this lofty goal will cripple their own bodies so they are unable to use Magic ever again - if they are some of the luckier ones. See "Spell Kings of the Past" bellow for examples of how certain people came to become Spell Kings. Those who are "Loved by Magic" There are many ways to control more magic without having to resort to something as immensely dangerous as trying to become a Spell King. Rituals, artifacts like the infamous Dungeon Heart or even something as simple as casting magic together with other mages will allow a practitioners to be able to wield immense mana without any of the inherit risks that come with the seemingly insane procedure. But what drives people to striving to become Spell Kings is something beyond just reason. When one becomes a Spell King the world itself is made aware. All beings with the ability to sense magic feel a sensation that signals the birth (or rebirth) of a Spell King. The magic of The World jumps and sings at the event as the Spell Kings mark transcends that of a Grand Masters. The hard power of the Spell King is not a factor, nor is his School of Magic. Some Spell Kings, like the Black Spell King and the Red Spell King, possessed power that made them equal to to creatures like the feared Horned Reaper, while others, like the White Spell King, did not possess any offensive or defensive capabilities whatsoever. The mana around the Spell Kings seems to ebb with power as their own mana influences their surroundings. It flows for the Spell King, it protects him him and acts on his will. It is in that sense that the Spell Kings "Rule" over mana. It is due to this phenomenon that, when a Spell King is "born", they are respectfully refereed to by the "Color" which they give to their surroundings. Spell King Candidates The term "Spell King Candidate" refers to a Magic-user that is believed to stand on the precipice of becoming a Spell King. An informal tittle used to denote that a person stands at the pinnacle of what is possible for Mortal Magic. Very few Spell King Candidates in exist at any given period. Individuals that reach the proficiency in magic required to become a Grand Master are rare enough but all but the legendary few have always fallen short of their goal and perished. Some Evil mages go so far as to eliminate potential of current Spell King Candidates, believing that the less competition they have the better or hoping to steal whatever knowledge the other may have amassed. Spell Kings of the Past The Blue Spell King The first Spell King in history and the origin of the name of Spell Kings. The last ruler of the First Kingdom of High Elves. The Demigod son of the God that created the Elves, he became a Spell King via an ancient ritual where he slept in a great crystal spire formed by their lost Magic of Gemstone Wizardry (the basis for all modern crystal mana batteries) for a hundred years - emerging with a body that had been changed and fused with the gemstone. The Black Spell King The second Spell King and a stain upon the name of all magic users everywhere. Ambitious and desperate, he attempted to imitate the Blue Spell King with no success. It was only when he was offered power by the Dark Gods that his desire became a reality. The Black Spell King became one of the few people in history to ever successfully undergo the process of Demonification, becoming a True Demon that lead the first ever Demon Lord Invasion which played a part in causing the Great Cataclysm. The Red Spell King Obadon "The Red" was the first Human to ever become a Spell King. He was reborn as a Spell King after receiving the heart of the leader of the Red Dragon Clan, which he proceeded to rule over till his death. The Gold Spell King A Dwarf that was alive during the founding of Nimbadnur and a great Hero of that time. The Gold Spell King created Runescript, the written language that is a predecessor to modern glyphs, based on the Primordial Magic and Word Magic used by the Titans and Giants and spread its use amidst the Dwarves. One of his most notable legacies are the High Runes that are passed down generations of the rulers of Nimbadnur. Category:Magic Category:Setting Category:Spell Kings